Taiwan News Quick Take

Staff writer, with CNA

CROSS-STRAIT TIES

Respect sovereignty: DPP

Visits by Chinese officials would be welcomed under the precondition that they respect Taiwan’s sovereignty and democracy, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Policy Research Committee executive director Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) said. Wu made the remarks in response to comments by Mainland Affairs Council Minister Wang Yu-chi (王郁琦), who yesterday said he welcomed a visit to Taiwan by China’s new Taiwan Affairs Office director, Zhang Zhijun (張志軍), as long as the timing and conditions are right. He did not elaborate. Wu said the government should uphold the principles of “sovereignty, reciprocal and democratic values” when dealing with visiting Chinese officials.

SPORTS

Xavier Chen donates to CTFA

Taiwanese-Belgian soccer player Xavier Chen (陳昌源) yesterday donated NT$1 million (US$33,600) to the Chinese Taipei Football Association (CTFA), in the hopes that the donation would help the association organize international friendly games that would promote the game in Taiwan. Chen said the donation was something he could do as an individual to help Taiwan promote soccer, and “there is no reason why Taiwan can not do better at sports.” The CTFA said it is in talks with Canada and New Zealand for an international friendly in Taiwan. Chen, who has a Taiwanese father and a French mother, played for KV Mechelen, a Belgian First Division team in Antwerp Province, until December last year, when he signed a contract with Guizhou Renhe of the Chinese Super League. The rightback made headlines in Taiwan in 2011 when he obtained Republic of China citizenship and joined the national team. He made his international debut and scored the game-winning penalty in a game against Malaysia.

WEATHER

Low rainfall expected

The country is likely to continue to experience lower-than-average rainfall in the next few months, which will put an additional strain on the country’s water supply, the Central Weather Bureau forecast yesterday. With several areas already implementing or considering water-rationing measures, the predicted low rainfall is expected to exacerbate the situation, the bureau said, adding that the dry weather is likely to persist until May, when the plum rain season begins. Rainfall in Taiwan has been scant since last month, according to the bureau’s data, which show accumulated precipitation of 37.9mm in Taipei between Feb. 1 and March 17, compared with the usual average of 262mm for that period.

CROSS-STRAIT TIES

Two charged over docking

Evergreen Marine Corp president Wang Chung-jinn (王宗進) and a captain of a company ship were yesterday charged with violations of cross-strait laws after the vessel visited a shipyard in China illegally and received suspended indictments. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said Wang and Hsu Mu-ter (許木德), a captain of the company, were charged with violations of Regulations Governing the Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the People of the Mainland China Area (台灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例). However, because they admitted they had violated the regulations and expressed remorse, the district prosecutors’ office granted them a suspended indictment. The office said Wang and Hsu would be fined NT$150,000 and NT$100,000 respectively. Prosecutors said Taiwanese vessels are prohibited from docking at Chinese ports not on the cross-strait harbor opening list.